BUFFALO, N.Y. — University at Buffalo President Satish K.
Tripathi released a statement today that a former UB employee has
pleaded guilty to a felony charge of grand larceny and another
former UB employee has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of grand
larceny and an additional felony charge of offering a false
instrument for filing.

The statement was shared in an email to all members of the UB
community. The statement describes steps the university took to
uncover and report a pattern of financial abuse perpetuated by the
two former employees, as well as the university’s cooperation
with investigating agencies and the measures it has taken to
tighten financial controls.

Tripathi’s statement is as follows:

Today, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office held
a press conference announcing that a former UB employee has pleaded
guilty to a felony charge of grand larceny and another former UB
employee has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of grand larceny and
an additional felony charge of offering a false instrument for
filing.

This matter stems from a university audit conducted by
UB’s Office of Internal Audit in April 2016. This audit was
conducted at my direction due to concerns of financial
mismanagement in the former University Life and Services
organization.

The UB audit uncovered a pattern of financial abuse,
including the misappropriation of state funds in the former
University Life and Services organization and the Faculty-Student
Association. (The Faculty-Student Association is a separate,
private, not-for-profit corporation affiliated with UB.)

In July 2016, I, in consultation with the Office of General
Counsel for SUNY, directed UB’s Office of Internal Audit to
refer this matter to the New York State Office of the Inspector
General. Concurrently, this matter was referred to the SUNY Fraud
Committee.

In July 2016, the Office of the Inspector General assumed
responsibility for this investigation. Throughout the
investigation, UB cooperated fully with the Office of the Inspector
General, and UB will cooperate fully with the Office of the
District Attorney.

As soon as we uncovered the financial abuse, the University
at Buffalo took swift and appropriate measures to tighten financial
controls in both the former University Life and Services
organization and the Faculty-Student Association, including
assigning authority for all financial decisions and transactions to
the Vice President for Finance and Administration.